The LWG Assessment Protocol for Traders of part-processed material has been developed and refined over two years as the natural progression to allow part-processed material trader LWG members to fully engage in the LWG Programme.

The Protocol is the only route to membership for Traders of part-processed material with effect from 1st April 2017. Raw Hide & Skin Traders and Finished Material Traders (who do not process any material) are termed "Agent Traders" and can engage with the LWG via a subscription route in the same way that brands and suppliers do. Please note that this route to membership does not entitle the Agent Trader to market their business as a LWG rated facility but as a Member of Leather Working Group only. For more information about becoming a member as an Agent Trader please click here: Leather Working Group Supplier Membership.

Within the LWG Trader Assessment Protocol, (for Traders of part-processed material), there are two types of trader: Category A Traders where a separation of LWG material is demonstrable and Category B Traders where LWG material and non-LWG material is processed together. It should be noted that from January 2018 the only way to achieve a 100% score for Category A Traders will be if all material is physically marked at source in order to demonstrate reasonable separation. There will be 5% reduction of score if material can only be physically marked at incoming to a trader facility and a further 5% reduction of score if the only method of separation of LWG material is through differentiated paperwork and physical separation at the trader facility.

It is intended that the above scoring reductions will increase in 2019, before physical marking at source becomes the only method of reasonable demonstration of separation of LWG material when the next major update of the main LWG Protocol (P7) comes into effect which is not anticipated to be before late 2019.

From 1st October 2017 there will be a phasing out of the scoring allowance in the main audit protocol which will take place over a 12 month period until 1st October 2018 when the scoring allowance in the main LWG Protocol for traded material will be removed completely.